Comeback Kids

ST. HENRY - Just when it appeared that St. Henry would go quietly in the bottom of the seventh inning trailing 5-1, fate intervened.

The Redskins rallied, winning the game on Seth Heitkamp's bases-loaded double with two outs to lift the home team to a 6-5 win over Minster in Midwest Athletic Conference baseball action on Tuesday at the Wally Post Athletic Complex.

"We lost a game against Fort Recovery in the seventh last Thursday. It was nice to get one back on the other side," said St. Henry coach Mike Gast. "We certainly know how (Minster) is feeling."

"You have to come ready to play every day," said Minster coach Mike Wiss. "When you've got somebody (down), you have to be able to close the game. Today, we didn't do it."

The way the game started, it looked like St. Henry was in for a struggle.

Nolan Schmitz, who has had issues with control at times, gave up a single to Logan Kohne, hit Tyler Stueve and walked Johnny Nixon to open the game. A pair of wild pitches brought home Kohne and Stueve to put the Wildcats in front 2-0.

Then for the next five innings, Schmitz was nearly unhittable. After striking out three straight batters - all looking - to end the first, the Redskin southpaw allowed just one baserunner from the second through the fifth innings. Minster had a chance to pad the lead in the sixth with runners on second and third with one out, but Schmitz got the final two outs.

"He looked a lot closer to (how he looked) last season," said Gast of Schmitz, who finished with 14 strikeouts. "He's been struggling a little bit with command this year. Aside the first inning and (the seventh), he was fun to watch."

The lone run for St. Henry through the first six innings came in the second inning, when Clayton Everman belted a triple to center. When the relay to the infield was mishandled, Gast sent Everman home for the first Redskin run.

After that, Nixon worked in and out of issues in keeping St. Henry scoreless. Nixon only struck out one, but the defense came up with clutch plays.

The Wildcats got insurance in the seventh as Kohne doubled home two runs and later came home on an error, but Devin Delzeith was able to get the last two outs before the Wildcats could add more.

Delzeith led off the bottom of the seventh and was hit by a pitch. Nixon got the first out when Dusty Lange flied out to left. Nolan Kunkler then drew a walk.

Wiss immediately called on lefty Alex Schmitmeyer to try and close the door, quickly getting Bryce Brookhart to fly to center for the second out. Shane Franck appeared to have struck out, but the ball got away from the catcher and Franck beat the throw to first to load the bases for Drew Schwieterman, who worked a walk off Schmitmeyer to bring home pinch-runner Logan Link.

Everman then stepped in and was plunked by a pitch to score Kunkler and bring up Heitkamp. Heitkamp worked the count to 3-1 before lacing a shot to the fence in center, clearing the bases for the tying and winning runs.

"We had a few really good at-bats in the sixth to get Nixon's pitch count up that allowed us to get to the bullpen and score some runs," said Gast. "Just a great job of battling and staying in the whole game."

"Two walks, two hit by pitches and a dropped third strike. The ball never left the (batting) circle," said Wiss. "That's baseball. It's a weird game. You think you've seen it all."